Games rail plan depends on buses sharing load
BRISBANE southside rail passengers will be pushed on to buses for the duration of the Commonwealth Games.
The Games transport plan confirms rail services in southeast Queensland will be reduced by up to half in some instances to accommodate services every eight to 10 min- utes on the Gold Coast line.
Beenleigh line commuters will be the hardest hit, with a merger with the Gold Coast line and special stops added for passengers to catch buses to their usual stop.
Beenleigh line passengers will be asked to travel to either Park Road, Yeronga, Coopers Plains, Altandi, Woodridge, Loganlea or Beenleigh before transferring to buses.
The Government is also banking on the arrival of three New Generation Rollingstock trains from India to make their “high frequency” plan work, with two expected to be put into service today.
Despite the increased service on the Gold Coast line, total services across the network “high frequency” will be reduced by 6 per cent from the already restricted timetable, due to a severe driver shortage.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk last year told Parliament that there would be “categorically” no line closures to fit in with the transport plan.
Transport Minister Mark Bailey defended the move, saying the addition of the high frequency bus service did not equate to a line closure.
“We will be running highfrequency, free bus supplements through all of the other stations so people have strong service delivery … we are keeping our commitments there,” he said. “Every station on the Beenleigh line will have a continuous service provided by us through the Games.”